Cooking_4_3

In butterfly wings and the plumage of birds, stacks of iridescent colours appear to imitate the dazzling palette of the natural world. The cause of this iridescence is Chitin, a large molecule whose usefulness finds its way into the wings of the Christmas beetle and the discarded exoskeleton of the Cicada. The aesthetic practicality of this molecule is exploited in the metallic sheen of the fishing lure, a common object that — along with aquarium gravel and classical sculpture — provides inspiration for Fraser Anderson’s latest solo exhibition.

Cooking_4_3 divides Anderson’s bold, physical work into three untried groups: “Framegrabs”, resin fabric and his “Bodyworks” sculptures. Anderson’s resin works seem sodden with pigment and metallic dusts and give the illusion of fabric in arrested movement. The tension between the weight of the resin medium and the weightlessness of the subject is a set up that provides a satisfying series of visual contradictions. As the resin sets quickly the artist must work at a pace, and the residue of this studio performance plays out through much of Anderson’s work. Anderson’s sculpture relates somatically to form; the walls of the body, shells and skeletons are recalled throughout the works on show. Unkie balloon (2015), a layered sculpture that draws obvious influence from computer generated landscapes and the deep sea animals, is perhaps the emblem of this intriguing exhibition which builds upon the influence of nature on industry and exploits the blurred line between painting and sculpture.

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